An ink jet printing apparatus (10) includes a maintenance device (40) configured to minimize the occupied space. The maintenance device (40) includes a movable cap carriage (46) supporting a cap (50) and including two guide pins (48). The cap (50) is engageable with an ink jet head (32) of the ink jet printing apparatus (10). A cover (54) surrounds the cap carriage (46) and includes two guide slots (56, 58) receiving the two guide pins (48) of the cap carriage (46), respectively. When a printing carriage (24) engages a printing carriage engaging member (52) of the maintenance device (40), the guide pins (48) are caused to ride in the guide slots (48), enabling the movable cap carriage (46) to be shifted from a recessed position to an engaged position where the cap (50) engages the ink jet head (32). The two guide slots (56, 58) are inclined at different angles to minimize the frictional resistance during the shift from the recessed position to the engaged position. In other aspects of the invention, a spring (62) is disposed between the movable cap carriage (46) and a maintenance device frame (70) and is oriented at an angle substantially corresponding to one of the guide slots (56, 58) to facilitate the return of the movable cap carriage (46) from the engaged position to the recessed position. In addition, a wiper (42) is disposed to wipe residual ink from the ink jet head (32), and a retaining wall (60) is disposed adjacent the wiper (42) to prevent the wiper (42) from deflecting beyond a predetermined position.